Not many people tell me they love going to the dentist and having their teeth drilled. Who can blame them? I speak from personal experience. I’ve had crowns, root canals, fillings of all sorts, implants and wisdom teeth pulled, and I can honestly tell you, “it is much better to give than to receive.”
As a child I was terrified of the dentist. To make matters even more complicated, the dentist was my uncle. Not only was I afraid of the dentist, I hated Uncle David. I had nightmares of him setting up a dental chair in his living room and drilling my teeth when we went to visit.
So why did I become a dentist? As a child, my dental check ups were scheduled enmass with my brothers and sister. After my cleaning I would watch Uncle David work on my sibs. This gave me a view from the other side of the chair, and let me see first hand what it was like to provide dental care. A whole new world was revealed to me. Uncle David went from nemisis to mentor, and inspired me to pursue a career in dentistry.
For 30 years I’ve enjoyed caring for people and helping them overcome their fear of the dentist. Who knows, maybe I’ve even inspired a few future dentists.